The air in Romanian football has been thick with drama lately. It’s all about a 20-year-old defender named Mario Tudose. The story exploded when Gigi Becali, the outspoken owner of FCSB, publicly admitted to a plot. He claimed the goal was simple: to “trick Benfica” during a player transfer. Becali himself seemed shocked by the whole mess.
Tudose, a promising central defender, plays for FC Arges Pitesti. Becali, always looking for talent, wanted to sign him. So, he called Dani Coman, the president of FC Arges. Coman’s first price for Tudose was €2 million. That sum seemed high, and Coman explained why. Benfica held a special clause. They were due half of any profit from Tudose’s next transfer. This meant FC Arges couldn’t just pocket the whole fee.
That’s when Coman suggested a “Romanian-style negotiation,” according to Becali. Becali’s initial thought was €1 million total. He wanted to give Benfica €500,000 and FC Arges €500,000. But Coman had a different idea. He proposed a lower transfer fee for Tudose, just €400,000. Benfica would then only get €200,000 from that. To make up the difference for FC Arges, Becali would then buy another player from them for €600,000. The true purpose of this complex deal? To shortchange Benfica. This way, FC Arges would get €800,000 in total, while Benfica’s share would be cut to €200,000.
Becali couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He shared his disbelief with ‘Digi Sport’. “What you’re about to hear is totally insane,” he began. “The world has gone mad. I don’t get anything anymore. Maybe I’m from another planet. All these lies, these fools!” He confessed his disappointment in Dani Coman. “I always knew Dani Coman as an honest, impressive man. I had never seen anything like this in my life!” he exclaimed.
Then, the plot thickened. Pitesti’s mayor, Cristian Gentea, apparently stepped into the negotiations. Becali described a bizarre scene. He was talking with Tudose’s father when Coman received a call. Coman told Becali, “Wait, his father is calling me, we’ll talk later!” But Tudose’s father was standing right there with Becali. “What happened to me then had never happened in my life,” Becali said. He hinted at the mayor’s heavy influence. “His father is a good man, but he fears the mayor,” Becali claimed. “He’s a big mafia boss, he cuts, he hangs, he scares people. He’s also a lawyer, needs licenses, all that stuff.”
Becali, who has faced corruption charges himself in the past, owned up to his part. He admitted the only illegal thing was his attempt to “cheat Benfica.” He then spoke candidly about his own past. “I’ve done thousands of immoral things in my life,” he confessed. “Like tricking foreigners to keep money in my country.” But his biggest upset was with Coman. “I would have trusted him completely,” Becali stated. “Now, I’ll never trust anyone again. I never thought he could do such a thing.” Despite the drama, Becali still plans to sign Tudose. He believes he’ll get the player in two years when his contract ends. He also said the player himself isn’t at fault.